Laboratory tests indicate that the carbonate fuel cells can generate enough electricity to make up for the power used to capture the carbon dioxide they feed on.

ExxonMobil estimates that a 500-megawatt power plant using these fuel cells could generate 120 megawatts of additional power, compared to a loss of 50 megawatts with conventional CCS technology, according to The New York Times.

It also claims that—when used in a natural-gas plant—the fuel cells could eliminate 90 percent of carbon-dioxide emissions, and produce significant quantities of hydrogen.